


Hummingbird Heartbeat

by Capbuckyang



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, First Time, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 00:20:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13135239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capbuckyang/pseuds/Capbuckyang
Summary: Leon can’t remember a time when his life didn’t involve around Connor McDavid.He’s the star of the school, his name plastered on every poster, every hall. Captain of the Edmonton High’s hockey team.So it really is a typical, cliché high school story when Ms. Clarkson approaches him after class on Tuesday.





	Hummingbird Heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bluenorth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluenorth/gifts).



> I have no idea why Leon+History made sense, but it might be that I have a lot of love for history myself and imagining Leon in glasses was really great lol. Hope you enjoy this!

 

* * *

 

 

Leon can’t remember a time when his life didn’t involve around Connor McDavid.

He’s the star of the school, his name plastered on every poster, every hall. Captain of the Edmonton High’s hockey team.

So it really is a typical, cliché high school story when Ms. Clarkson approaches him after class on Tuesday.

Leon’s sure there’s millions of these around, all starting with the jock needing help with a subject and the nerd being his tutor. Leon’s not a stereotypical nerd, exactly, but he’s excellent at history and oversees the History/Journalism club along with Adam so, yeah, maybe he is a bit of a nerd.

Ms. Clarkson tells him that all he needs to do for the last term paper is tutor their star hockey captain and not only will he be doing something for the greater good, but he’ll have firsthand insight into hockey and its rich history. He really does love history, but sports history? In all honesty, Leon would much rather prefer writing about the Ottoman Empire, but he doesn’t have time to complain.

College applications are due soon and he’s stressed to the max as it is about the rest of his classes and extracurriculars. If tutoring a jock will get him a good grade on his paper, he’ll deal.

 

**

 

He meets Connor at the school library on a Thursday afternoon.

It would be hard not to notice him, everyone knows him, and to top it off, he’s wearing a backwards baseball cap with the Oilers logo on the back. He’s texting on his phone, looking mindless and bored, and Leon can already feel how frustrating this will be.

“Did you bring your book?” Leon asks as soon as he approaches the table. Connor startles and takes a second before he responds, a typical response, and Leon tries not to blush or fidget with his glasses.

“No, sorry, I came right after practice, didn’t get a chance to.”

Leon resists rolling his eyes and slams his own book on the table. “Listen, I know you don’t want to be here, studying facts about things that happened centuries ago, but Ms. Clarkson said you can’t graduate without passing this class and not even your hockey scholarship can win this one for you.”

Leon starts shuffling out flashcards and misses Connor watching him, a little terrified, but also intrigued.

“I never said I didn’t want to be here,” Connor says slowly and Leon looks up, staring at him curiously.

“I appreciate you trying to help me, Leon.”

Leon didn’t expect that. He expected some jerk jock who would make a pass at him and refuse to take anything seriously. Connor looks genuine. Connor brings out his own pack of highlighters and sticky notes.

“So where do we start?” he asks, grabbing some flashcards from Leon’s pile.

Leon can’t help the tiny hint of a smile on his face while he cracks open his text book.

“The Roman Empire.”

 

**

 

They meet every Tuesday and Thursday in the library after Connor has practice.

Leon learns that Connor has games on Mondays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, Connor is nowhere to be found after school but Leon doesn’t question him. It would definitely be helpful to meet three times a week, but not everyone has the brain capacity to study as much as Leon does.

That’s what Adam tells him at lunch. “Also, you realize you haven’t stopped talking about the kid since you started tutoring him?” “I have not!” Leon says between a bite of his sandwich, so it sounds muffled and Adam laughs.

“Shut up,” Leon says and throws a carrot stick at him. Adam catches it in his mouth.

“Just admit it, Drai, you have a crush on him,” Adam says. Leon’s eyes widen, and he proceeds to throw the rest of the carrots at Adam until he pleads for mercy while laughing so hard they both end up with tears in their eyes.

"You know who really does a have a crush?” Leon asks once they’ve caught their breath. Adam just raises his eyebrow and takes swig of his chocolate milk.

“You, on Oscar Sexbom,” Leon says confidently and with a smirk on is face. Adam chokes on his chocolate milk and Leon laughs while patting his back. Connor walks by right during this embarrassing moment and waves, despite being surrounded by all his cool, hockey playing friends.

Leon waves back, feeling something like stupid butterflies in his stomach.

 

**

 

Connor’s late.

Leon’s been sitting in the library for thirty minutes now and he’s mix of disappointed and annoyed.

The only reason he doesn’t get too angry is because Connor’s always on time, sometimes here even before Leon comes in after class. Today he texted him at 3:30 and said he’d be running late. No explanations, not that Leon should be needing one, but it’s 4:00 now and Leon has to get home and study for his Chemistry exam.

He briefly considers if he should just leave, but before he can gather his stuff and get up, Connor comes rushing in and almost trips getting to the table Leon saved for them. He’s panting and sporting a fresh bruised, cut bloody lip.

“What the hell happened?” Leon asks, a little shocked. It’s still bleeding, despite being bandaged up and it looks pretty painful.

“Fight,” Connor manages between breaths and falls into a chair. “During practice?” Leon asks curious and settles down in the chair next to him. Connor nods and Leon waits until he catches his breath and seems calm enough to answer more questions.

“What happened?” Leon asks again carefully and Connor looks so tired, all of a sudden, drained and almost like he’ll fall asleep right here on the table.

“This douchebag was saying stupid shit about Oscar liking boys, so I dropped my gloves.” Leon files that tidbit about Oscar away for Adam and tries not to let his heart swell in his chest too much. He can’t contain the fond smile though, Connor just keep surprising him.

“He gave it to you good, huh?” Leon smirks to hide the way his stomach feels all jumbled with butterflies and Connor laughs and his shoulder brushes against Leon’s, which only makes it worse. “You should see him,” Connor says with a smile, bloody lip and all, and it’s stupidly attractive and makes Leon blush just a little.

“Here,” Leon says and pulls out the flashcards he made last night of Industrialization and Global Capitalism and hands them over to Connor. “We don’t have to stay today, you should go home and take care of that.”

“Leon, I can stay, it’s not that painful,” Connor tries to argue but he winces when his tooth accidentally presses into the cut and Leon looks at him pointedly.

“Thank you,” Connor says, looking too grateful holding a stack of flashcards held together by a blue rubber band. Leon smiles and pats his shoulder.

“See you on Thursday,” Leon says and picks up his bag to leave.

 

**

 

They settle into a rhythm after that.

They study hardcore, sometimes staying late into the evening, and Leon finds that even though he prefers to study alone, he doesn’t mind studying with Connor. It helps to teach someone else, reinforces the material in his mind.

He also learns way more about Connor than he planned on learning.

He hates pickles, has one older brother, has been playing hockey since he could pick up a stick, and will probably go pro one day. He loves painting during his off time, is great at Statistics, and his socks always match his shirts.

He’s best friends with Darnell Nurse on the hockey team, who also turns out to be really friendly and nice. He tells Leon to call him “Nursey” and drinks blue Powerade all the time like Connor.

Nursey brings them mango pineapple smoothies on a truly grueling day of covering Imperial Expansion and Reform. They study together, and Leon ends up confessing that he doesn’t really know how to skate. He’s been ice skating before, but he’s like a wobbly deer on slick ice. Nursey and Connor crack up, but all in good humor, and Connor even promises to teach Leon someday.

Connor’s funny, he’s way smarter than Leon expected, and he catches on fast. He asks about what the History club is doing, seems genuinely interested in the updates Leon gives him, and brings Leon a tupperware of his mom's chocolate chip cookies one day.

Every tutoring sessions becomes less like a standard boring meeting, and Leon thinks that maybe, Connor could even be considered a friend.

 

**

 

“So listen, I was wondering,” Connor starts awkwardly next to Leon’s locker.

Everyone’s staring at them, Leon can feel it, Connor McDavid doesn’t stand on this side of the hallway. _Ever_.

He’s usually on the other side where all the player’s lockers are, where the cheer leaders linger.

“Do you wanna go ice skating sometime?”

Leon stares at Connor’s face and the odd ways it twitches with nervousness and then replays the question in his head.

First off why would Connor be _nervous_?

He’s hot, gorgeous, the _captain_ , nobody would say no to him. But he’s got his hands shoved in his pockets and keeps rocking on his heels and it makes Leon smile.

“Yeah, that’d be nice.”

“Cool,” Connor says and tells him about this new ice rink that’s opened in downtown while Leon grabs his books from his locker.

“I can’t promise you I’ll be good at it,” Leon says and Connor laughs.

“Hey, it’s fine, maybe I can finally teach you a thing or two.”

“Yeah maybe,” Leon says with his books against his chest.

Connor smiles so bright and sweet, Leon wonders if he’s made a mistake on allowing them to be friends, outside of their tutoring sessions. His heart might be on the line here but it’s all his fault anyway, so he sucks it up and watches Connor walk away.

 

**

 

Connor’s a great teacher.

He’s patient and solid, lets Leon cling to him in the is beginning and gives him tips every time he falls. He does laugh at him when he lets go and Leon smacks right down onto his ass, but it’s honestly so infectious Leon can’t help laughing too.

Leon invites him over to his house after. He says it as a courtesy at best, assumes Connor’s busy but Connor says yes as soon as he brings it up, a little too enthusiastically. 

Leon’s mom makes the best Käsespätzle. He and Connor basically gorge on the cheesy, buttery pasta after coming back from their skating session.

Leon still feels winded, his cheeks hurt from smiling too much and he really wants a nap, but there’s studying to be done, so his mom tuts at him and Connor when they try to sneak towards the game room. They both sprawl across Leon’s lightly messy bedroom floor and Leon quizzes Connor on Global Migration.

“You know, I’m surprised at how quickly you picked up on this,” Leon says when Connor answers everything correctly.

“Can’t say the same about you and ice skating,” Connor says and Leon laughs.

Connor’s eyes crinkle up when he laughs and his teeth are so white and shiny. Connor sighs and pushes the flashcards and highlighter out of the way.

“I’m not dumb, not really, I do well when I study but history is just… I don’t know, so expansive. There’s just so much to know and so many dates and people. I guess I just needed someone to guide me into to learning how to study for it. So thanks, again, for that.”

Leon feels heat crawl up his cheeks at the genuine appreciation in Connor’s voice.

“I’m actually glad Ms.Clarkson asked me to do it,” Leon tells Connor and watches the emotion flicker over Connor’s face.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You’re… a lot more different than I thought you’d be,” Leon says honestly and Connor laughs, slides closer so he’s sitting on the floor next to Leon at the edge of the bed.

“How different?”

“You’re not a jerk for one,” Leon smirks and Connor chuckles.

“Well you didn’t exactly look like a typical nerd, you know,” Connor says and nudges Leon’s shoulder with his own.

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” Leon asks, turning a little to face Connor better.

“You’re like, ridiculously hot,” Connor tells him, suddenly looking more serious than playful and Leon’s palms start sweating.

Connor's officially breached the line and Leon can’t say he minds. Leon’s eyes drop down to his mouth and he sees the scar there, healing slowly but surely. He wonders if it will still feel tender if Leon sinks his teeth in there, gently of course. His heart’s beating way too quickly and he’s finding it harder to lean away from Connor, who isn’t helping much by looking at Leon with hooded eyes.

“I’m gonna kiss you,” Connor says like an announcement and Leon almost giggles at that, but he’s too worried about his entire family being downstairs potentially catching him in his bedroom kissing a boy, kissing the Captain of the Oilers, kissing _Connor_.

Connor kisses him softly at first. Leon’s glasses poke at his cheek and Connor pulls away, laughing, cheeks red. Leon can feel his own cheeks flaming. “Sorry,” Leon mumbles, his lips feel all tingly and Connor just keeps looking at him, he can’t help but fidget nervously.

“Try again?” Connor asks and this time, Leon angles his head right and kisses Connor first and it just works _perfectly_.

He leans up to push his mouth to Connor’s, and his lips are soft, except for the little scar that drags against Leon’s lips. Connor brings a hand up to cup Leon’s neck and makes a soft sound low in his throat that makes Leon feel dizzy with want. Leon drags his tongue across the press of Connor’s lips until they part to let him dip his tongue inside. Connor nips at the tip of his tongue with his teeth, sharp and gentle until he soothes all that away with the soft skin of his lips, closing around Leon’s tongue, sucking on it.

They’re teasing kisses at first, maddening and mesmerizing, until they forget about anything other than getting closer, learning the taste and feel of one another. Connor tugs Leon towards him until he’s straddling his thighs and Leon pulls away to catch his breath.

“My mom’s going to come up any minute now,” Leon says softly and Connor presses a kiss against his jaw, tilting his head up to kiss his neck.

“Yeah, we should stop,” Connor mumbles against his neck, kissing his way up and finds Leon’s mouth and kisses him again. Leon gets lost in it for a few seconds, melting into it. Connor’s hands are big and warm holding his waist steady and his mouth is addicting. He forces himself to pull away again when he hears noise on the staircase and climbs out of Connor’s lap just in time.

His mom only knocks on the door, thankfully, asking if they need anything. They both yell that they’re fine and let out a collective breath when she leaves. Leon catches Connor’s eye and they both end up giggling at the absurdity of almost getting caught.

After they’ve calmed down, Leon helps Connor gather all books and stuff until Connor’s all packed and ready to go.

Leon has so many questions.

Does this mean they’re more than friends now? Is he allowed to call Connor his boyfriend? Was it just a thank you? He says nothing when Connor stands up to go, biting the inside of his cheek.

“Hey, I have a game on Friday, do you maybe wanna come see me play? We can go out to that diner after.”

Connor looks flushed and nervous, even after all that and it makes Leon grin.

He leans in and kisses Connor again, soft and quick.

“Okay,” Leon says and Connor smiles.

“It’s a date.”

 

**

 

Everything goes back to normal after that.

It’s not like Leon expected things to change that drastically, he actually prefers this subtle shift rather than something extravagant like Connor making out with him near his locker in the hallway between classes.

Instead he gets these soft smiles across the hall, Connor’s knee brushing against his under the table during their sessions at the library, and once Connor even reaches up and smooths Leon’s hair down from where it’s spiked up on the side.

It's sweet and Leon likes it a lot, likes Connor a lot, but it only makes the craving to kiss Connor again even stronger.

It starts getting colder as the week goes by and when Friday finally rolls around, Leon has to wear his thick brown coat with layers of sweaters underneath to Connor’s game. Adam complains while miserably rubbing his hands covered in mittens together the whole way there.

“You do realize that Sexbom is on the hockey team too?” Leon asks when they trudge their way across the parking lot to the ice rink outside on the field.

Everyone’s wearing Edmonton high jerseys and caps, but the occasional few are wearing flames red for the rival team.

“Would you stop calling him that?” Adam asks, exasperated, but he definitely looks less miserable about the prospect of watching the game in this cold weather with the reminder.

It only gets better when Oscar Klefbom himself bumps into Adam on their way to the benches. Leon’s met him once or twice when he’s come around the library and sat with him and Connor, but it’s the first time Adam's officially meeting him. Leon says hi and Adam basically says nothing but gives Oscar an awkward thumbs up but it seems to charm Oscar anyway.

Leon listens to Adam groan about how bad he is at flirting for a good 5 minutes before he decides to cheer him up by buying them both some hot chocolate from the snack stands. They even add those tiny marshmallows on top.

Leon doesn’t see Connor until the game starts.

It’s impossible to miss him. He moves at lightning speed, the pucks seems to be glued to his stick, and he makes 2 goals just during the first 15 minutes. He’s a force to be reckoned with, but Leon can’t help and think that maybe Connor’s also showing off a bit since Leon’s in the crowd.

The idea gets more confirmed in his head when Nursey and another teammate named Ryan make whistling sounds when Leon meets Connor during intermission. Connor’s blushing, ears tipped pink but smiling brighter than the lights around the rink.

“How’s the game?” Connor asks and Leon wants so badly to reach out and touch him somehow, to make sure this is the same kid he’s been tutoring in history for the past few weeks. He looks huge and bulky in his hockey gear and pads, but the awkward shuffle of his skates reminds Leon of the way Connor rocks on his heels when he’s nervous.

“You’re amazing,” Leon says honestly and tries to memorize Connor’s smile.

The whistle blows so Connor says thank you, he’ll meet Leon later, and shuffles back onto the ice.

 

 

**

 

The Oilers win.

Leon leaves Adam with Oscar near the parking lot, he seems to be doing much better now. Oscar laughs at everything Adam says and Leon knows how funny Adam is, they’re best friends, but not even Adam can be as funny as Oscar is making it seem.

That seems like a pretty good thing, though, and Leon’s happy that things are working out there.

Connor takes him to Daisy’s Diner where basically everyone from the team ends up at after the game. Connor doesn’t make him stay though.

After a bit of hollering and shoving around from his teammates, Connor orders them both burgers and milkshakes and grabs Leon’s hand.

“Where are we going?” Leon asks above the noise.

Connor leans in close next to Leon’s ear. “You’ll see,” Connor says and Leon knows his hand probably feels sweaty with nerves but Connor doesn’t let go.

Connor takes them to a park and they eat their burgers in the back of his pick-up truck, shivering from the cold, but too happy to care about it.

The stars are bright in the inky sky and Leon has a feeling it’ll snow tomorrow.

“This was fun,” Leon tells Connor once they’ve both finished off their milkshakes and sit huddled together listening to slow tunes from the radio in Connor’s car. Connor smiles and leans in a little closer.

“I really like you, Leon,” Connor says and Leon can feel his heart beating like a hummingbird’s wings, the feeling of nerves and excitement making him shiver more than the cold.

“I like you too,” Leon says and sighs happily when Connor kisses him.

“Can we sit inside your truck?” Leon asks after a few seconds though, because this is all romantic and amazing, but his toes are freezing and he doesn’t want an distractions.

Connor laughs and agrees and helps him into the truck.

They don’t waste anytime once they’re warm enough and the front seat is tilted back enough for Leon to sit on Connor’s lap and make out with him like they never stopped from that time a few days ago in Leon’s bedroom.

They end up grinding against each other and breathing harshly between each kiss. Leon doesn’t even mind that the seat feels a bit cramped with both of their huge bodies pressed together. His glasses feel all foggy so he takes them off and puts them carefully inside a cup holder on the side of his seat.

“I’ve never,” Leon starts and Connor stops kissing his way down his neck and looks up at him. “Never?” Connor asks for clarification. Leon shrugs and avoids his gaze for a few seconds.

It’s not like he’s never had sex before, he’s been with girls. He’s just never had a chance to be with a boy before, not one he likes this much too.

Leon wants to be honest with Connor though, so he takes a deep breath and feels Connor reach up and cup the side of Leon’s neck. His thumb rubs soft circles against the top of his spine and Leon’s pretty sure if he wasn’t sitting, his knees would give out just with that gentle touch.

Leon tells him the truth and Connor waits him out patiently. The heater from the car is making everything extra warm. Connor’s scar on his lip looks all healed up now; Leon brushes him thumb across where the scar used to be.

“I want to, with you,” Leon says at last and Connor grins, gentle and sweet.

“We’ll go slow,” Connor says and pulls him back into another long, lingering kiss.

Connor wriggles against him and then rolls his hips, hard cock rubbing up against Leon's. Leon sucks in a surprised breath and thrusts back. The friction feels good, sends a jolt of pleasure thrumming up his spine, and he gasps into Connor's mouth when Connor's hand slips down to thumb the head of his cock. They move together in a slow, steady rhythm that makes heat rise in his veins, driving him to thrust harder, faster, more urgently as he chases that perfect moment that feels like flying and falling at the same time.

Connor goes rigid against him and then comes with a low, choked off moan. Leon shifts so he can thrust against the crease where Connor's thigh joins his body, following instinct and closes his eyes in anticipation. Connor's laugh is soft and wicked in his ear as he cups Leon’s dick through his jeans, and then Leon is coming, pleasure shuddering through him in waves. His head is too heavy to hold up; he rests his forehead on Connor’s shoulder and they stay like that for a few minutes.

“I should take you home now, huh?” Connor asks and Leon laughs.

“In a minute,” Leon says and they sit in Connor’s truck for a few more minutes just kissing and laughing, making every memory count.

 

**

 

Leon gets an A+ on his history paper.

Connor brings his grade up to a B+ in class and Ms. Clarkson looks at both him and Connor proudly with a permanent smile on her face.

Oscar and Adam are definitely extravagant enough to make out in the hallways between classes. Leon’s happy for them, but he also prefers the indulgent smiles he gets from Connor in the mornings, and how they’ll hold hands at lunch and how Connor gets him a jacket with McDavid in orange and blue on the back.

Leon wears it to every game.

They still meet twice a week at the library but Connor greets him with a kiss on his cheek and Leon turns a little pink every time.

They also meet up on Wednesdays where Connor gives Leon ice skating lessons. He’s getting better, even if he ends up with bruises from falling so often. Connor’s always encouraging and kisses it all better anyway, so Leon can’t say he minds.

Leon’s just glad Ms. Clarkson asked him to be Connor’s tutor months ago. He’s realized that history and hockey go well together, better than he could have ever expected.

 

* * *

 


End file.
